Do Ice Bucket Challenges Actually Make a Difference?

Calling out friends by name to attempt the challenge feeds its viral nature.

RUIBIN ZHU and XINYAN ZHOU

Did you see people pouring ice water over themselves on social media recently? That was for USC’s #SpeakYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge, a social media revival of the famous 2014 ALS challenge that aimed at raising awareness for the progressive neurodegenerative disease. But this time, the icy stunt was all about mental health.

In partnership with the nonprofit Active Minds, the challenge was reignited in April 2025 by students at the University of South Carolina’s Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) Club. It followed the same formula as the original, but with an added opening: participants tag friends to complete the challenge within 24 hours after dumping ice water on themselves.

The goal? To raise awareness and get people talking about mental health, and to collect donations. So far, according to the Carolina News and Reporter, USC’s campaign has raised more than $150,000.

On social media, it’s gained millions of views, with videos of shocked reactions, fun screams, and creative twists. From campuses in the U.S. to universities around the world, students joined the trend to spread the message.

For most students, the challenge was the perfect combo of something silly to laugh about and something real to think about.

“Yeah, it’s fun and kinda silly, but that’s what makes it work,” junior Ziqi Lin said. “If it was super serious, I don’t think many people would pay attention.”

“It was for a good cause, which was to spread awareness for mental health, which I found out recently,” junior Marjona Akhmatova said.

Wade Jefferson, the MIND club president at USC, says the point of the challenge is to help break the stigma surrounding mental health conversations.

“The goal is…to remind people that they’re not alone,” Jefferson said. “Everyone faces struggles, and no matter who you are, there’s someone out there who’s willing to listen. This challenge is proof of that.”

According to Active Minds, 67% of young adults say they would tell a friend they’re struggling before telling anyone else.

So this time, it’s not just a trend. It’s a chain reaction of connection, passed from one friend to another.

“My friend tagged me, and I honestly didn’t know what it was for at first,” senior Chloe Yang said. “But once I looked it up, it felt like something worth being part of.”

Of course, not all students are convinced that these kinds of viral videos can actually do much. It’s a fair question to ask. Does pouring ice water over your head really help anyone, or is it just for views?

“At first I wasn't going to do it, but then I heard it was to bring awareness,’’ junior PeiLin Lu said. “Most do it for fun.”

“To be honest, I didn't really want to do it, as it seemed like a random trend that really just seemed pretty meaningless,” sophomore Irene Wang said.

In reality, it seems to be a mix of both. The challenge has definitely raised real money and brought more attention to mental health. But some people admit they joined just because their friends tagged them, without fully understanding the cause behind it.

Even if people joined the challenge for fun, the conversation about mental health is spreading, and that might be the most important part.